Hitting the Books

In an age when reading has gone digital, the takes time to celebrate books the old-fashioned way.

“Carnegie Library Centennial,” an exhibition looking at the history of books, libraries and printing, opened yesterday at the museum.  

“Our building is located in the old Carnegie Library, so the exhibit chronicles the history of the building and libraries in Edmonds,” said Museum Director Tarin Erickson.

The building was erected in 1911 after Edmonds received a $5,000 grant from the Carnegie Foundation. The upper floor served as a library and the lower floor was the location of City Hall. After both the library and City Hall outgrew the building and moved elsewhere, the building was eventually taken over by the Edmonds Historical Society in 1973. Today it serves the community as the Edmonds Historical Museum, with changing exhibitions and artifacts displaying the history of Edmonds.

Erickson said the exhibit will feature lots of books on display, as well as the building’s original Tiffany glass window. The Edmonds Public Library and Sno-Isle Library are lending the original construction documents for the building.

“Obviously I love history, and like to look back at the past and see how things have changed,” Erickson said. “It’s fun to see how some things have changed for the better, but sometimes you realize that they were done right the first time.”

The “Carnegie Library Centennial” exhibition will be open through July 17.